Davis, California, Is The Best Small City For Biking In The United States

Davis, California is one of the best cities for cycling in the entire world. Although the city is only 10.5 square miles, it has over 100 miles worth of bike lanes and bike paths. In fact, there are more cyclists than cars in the city and the local university, UC Davis, is more accessible to cyclists than to motor vehicles.

Out of the 65,000 residents in Davis, an astonishing 17% choose to bike to work on a regular basis. However, even with so many cyclists on the road, there were only 48 bike accidents reported in 2006 and zero fatalities.

The League of American Bicyclists recently honored Davis by rating it a Platinum level community for bicyclists based on over 70 factors including education, encouragement, enforcement, engineering, and evaluation. Portland, a hotbed for cycling in the United States, is the only other city to have also received this status.

Education: Years ago, residents of Davis voted to get rid of public school buses so children could walk or bike to school. Since then, a comprehensive local bike map has been made available with safety tips to help cyclists avoid bike accidents.

Encouragement: The city's logo is a bike, cars are on lockdown during class changes at the university, and the City of Davis and UC Davis are putting together a west coast bicycle museum. No matter where you go in the city, cycling is a part of the culture. In fact, in May the city holds a month-long "Cyclebration" -- a celebration of the bicycle.

Enforcement: The city lowered the fines for cycling violations in order to increase local police enforcement. The plan has worked and the rules are more widely followed in Davis than almost anywhere else in California.

Engineering: Davis is a rare city that has been built from the start with the bicycle in mind. Most cities are more focused on the automobile and then figure a way to make the roads work for cyclists as well. Davis is the opposite -- having bike lanes on nearly 95% of the city's arterials and collectors. They have spent millions of dollars on bicycle overpasses, undercrosses, and experimental projects to reduce bike accidents and increase the amount of cyclists in the city.

Evaluation: Davis is the only community in America with two full-time bike coordinators and two bicycle advisory committees. A pioneer in developing a city around bicyclists, many of the current national guidelines are founded on what the California Department of Transportation used in Davis years earlier.

With a proud history of cycling, Davis truly is one of the best cities for cycling in the world. However, you should always prepare yourself for the risks that may present themselves. By using proper safety equipment and preparing ahead for each ride, you can lower your chance of being involved in a bike accident.

If you do get in a bicycle accident in Davis, California, you need a personal injury lawyer you can trust. An experienced attorney will help you assess, file, and win your claim so you can receive maximum compensation for your damages.